My Top 12 Cities in the World: #11 Mexico City, Mexico

Over the last 8 years I have had the privilege to travel to over 80 cities, 30 countries, and 5 continents. I have made new friends, ate incredible foods, had some crazy nights out, navigated sketchy situations, and much much more ! With this in mind, I decided it would be a good idea to really sit down and put my thoughts to paper deciding what cities stand tall beyond the rest. This week #11: Mexico City, Mexico

THE GRADING CRITERIA

-Category 1, "Food" 10 PTS

-Category 2, "Safety" 10 PTS

-Category 3, "Activities / Things to do" 10 PTS

-Category 4, "Cost" 10 PTS

-Category 5, "Energy / Excitement / Good Vibes" 10 PTSd

-Category 6, "My experience (I.e. How much fun did I have)" 50 PTS Subjective ? Yes ! However, I am not ranking these cities by how comfortable I think they are or what would be the best city to live in. Rather, the main factor really just is: Did I have fun and make some life-long memories while here ?

No. 11 MEXICO CITY - MEXICO //

Total Score: 88 out of 100

Front row at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes for a Club America match.

-Food: 10 / 10:

Similar to Cusco I could not find myself leaving Mexico City off this list, again thanks in large part to the spectacular food scene found here. To start, if you think you've had good tacos just wait until you visit Mexico City. As I frequently do, I started my visit by looking through the Michelin guide page for the city. It was no surprise that there were no less than twenty different taquerias around the city listed. This information in mind, on our final day in Mexico City, I mapped out a ten mile route to eleven of these michelin rated taco spots. All told, we spent hours walking through the city and trying tacos across a vast array of neighborhoods. A highlight for me were the famous 'Al pastor' tacos which are a staple of taquerias across Mexico City. I tried these tacos at establishments across the city. From no frills roadside food-stalls to full service sit down restaurants, the frequently pineapple garnished, shawarma style tacos hit the perfect balance of savory with a touch of sweetness no matter the setting. In addition to the staples, many of Mexico City's taquerias also have their own 'house specialties'. With some standouts being 'La 89's' extra large carne asada tacos topped with their own house guacamole. As well as 'Gonzalitos' barbacoa de res tacos; slow cooked and marinated to perfection, the tenderness and flavors found here blew me away. In addition to these two, I also enjoyed, 'Castacan' for their pibil tacos, 'Tacos El Paisa' for their spicy Al pastor tacos, 'Tacos Atarantados' for a classic Al pastor topped with pineapple, and 'Tacos del Valle' for expertly garnished bistec tacos.

Massive carne asada tacos served at LA89. Absolutely bursting with filling and flavor

Now if you don't like tacos (are you crazy ?) thats okay too. Being the largest city in North America with a population of over twenty-million people you can find just about anything you'd like. In fact, as someone who grew up in Asia, I had some of the best Chinese steamed dumplings of my life in the Centro neighborhood of Mexico City at 'Du Te Chinese Dumplings'. Moreover, the neighborhoods of Roma and Condesa have an insane array of upscale dining options. Here you can find some excellent quality Mexican dishes as well as Italian, French, Japanese, and Korean. All of this along with metropolitan staples such as burger joints and pizzerias. This is to say, the food scene here is amazing and very eclectic. For those who have visited New York City it hits in a very similar way.

Hand crafted dumplings, steamed to perfection.

-Safety: 4 / 10:

Mexico City is a city of contrasts when it comes to safety. Roma and Condesa feel perfectly safe to walk around, as does Bosque de Chapultepec park and most of the western side of the city close to Ave de. La Reforma. However, I found the vibe can turn quickly from neighborhood to neighborhood and even street to street. For example, directly neighboring the eastern side of the Roma neighborhood is Doctores, which is known in part for its higher rates of violent crime. We actually made a wrong turn on the way home from dinner one night and accidentally wandered into this neighborhood. While we were totally fine and I assume most of the time you would be okay. The contrast between the two neighboring neighborhoods was clear. In Roma there were carefully manicured gardens, lively restaurants, bars, cafes, and night clubs. Whereas in Doctores, many of the streets were not well lit and there were many derelict buildings lining the streets. Much like what you see in LA, NYC, or other cities in North America, I thought there was a clear contrast in the economic investment of many of the neighborhoods across Mexico City.

Yet despite this, you should want to leave the more touristy and gentrified neighborhoods of Mexico City. Yes Roma and Condesa are nice, but you're also missing out on much of what Mexico City has to offer. As many of the city's best restaurants, markets, and other notable sites are situated outside of the safest zones of the city; you should not skip out on these experiences out of fear. However, it is good to know to really experience Mexico City to the fullest you're a bit less insulated from the rougher areas as compared to some other cities.

-Activities & Things to do: 10 / 10:

Mexico City is a city of endless possibilities. If you want to stay within the city there are tons of different activities to choose from. While we were there we went to a Club America football match which was an amazing experience. Tickets were cheap and easy to buy. The stadium is easily accessible via the metro system with it also feeling safe in and around the stadium. That said, if football isn't your thing there are ton of other live events frequently happening around the city, one famous example being the live nacho liebre wrestling series. However, just strolling the city will present you with a bounty of things to do. We strolled the streets, ate at the markets, picnicked in Bosque de Chapultepec park and I went for a few runs around the city. All of which were excellent ways to spend the mornings and afternoons.

Pre-game at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes

Moreover, just outside of the city are the pyramids of Teotihuacan. A highlight of my entire trip across Latin-America, I would highly recommend taking the trip out to see them. Located about fifty minutes outside of downtown Mexico City the pyramids can be easily accessed via a local bus from the North-Central bus station. However, as many people opt to see the pyramids via a hot air ballon ride, most ballon companies will offer hotel pick up from Mexico City directly to the pyramids. Just know that you will be paying a premium if you decide to get there this way. While we decided to save some money and took the bus, without a doubt the best way to see the pyramids was with a sunrise hot air balloon ride. Floating over the pyramids in a hot air balloon, surrounded by other balloons flying by as the sun rose is a morning I will never forget.

Looking down at the pyramids of Teotihuacan from up above in a hot air ballon.

-Cost: 8 / 10:

Being a megacity Mexico City truly gives you a bounty of options at every price point for food, accommodation, transportation, and activities. I actually went for an air bnb during my stay so I spent a bit more than I normally do. However, if I had gone with a hostel the prices were pretty average for hostels across Latin America, roughly 10usd to 20usd per night. In other words cheap compared to Europe, but expensive compared to South-Asia.

In terms of getting around the city, the metro system here is cheap and easy to use. If my memory doesn't fail me, it was roughly 50 cents per ride meaning you can have a very cost efficient way to move around the city. For longer journeys deeper into the city we did find ourselves frequently using uber, but that was still reasonably cheap and efficient as well. Moreover, food is where Mexico City really shines in the budget department as you can find endless street food and market food offerings. Many of these stalls were dishing out tacos for about 25 cents a piece and packed with locals.

Truth be told Mexico City probably could score higher in this category if you commit to living like a local on your visit. However, most tourists - myself included won't be doing this. On one hand I ate street food, and rode local busses as well as the metro to get around. On the other hand, I also stayed in an air bnb in Roma, ate at a few fine dining restaurants, drank at trendy bars, and ubered when public transport was inconvenient. Again, Mexico City is a city of contrasts. It is a cheap city, but to properly experience everything it has to offer you shouldn't be surprised to pay a bit more in certain spots.

-Energy, Excitement, and Vibes: 10 / 10:

Man this city feels alive. What I really appreciated the most about Mexico City is that it feels like a city where people live and go about their business through and through. During many of my adventures around the city I felt like a fly on the wall watching a whirlwind of life in action around me. The city has that perfect blend of romance and grit that can only be found in a few other cities around the world. In fact this feeling of balance is something I hold in high regard when reflecting on which cities most resonate with me. If a city is too romantic or too perfect it can end up feeling artificial, akin to the feeling you get when you visit Disney World. On the other hand, if somewhere is too gritty it could end up entirely unenjoyable. Mexico City was just right, strolling through the streets of Roma and Condesa lush with gardens and lined with art deco style buildings took me back to the feeling of watching 'Before Sunrise' for the first time. On the other hand when visiting the Centro neighborhood and the many nearby markets you can get a slice of the grittier side of the city.

-My Experience: 46 / 50: 

Mexico City was my last stop of my Latin America trip this summer and it could not have worked out more perfectly ending on such a high note. A few moments really stand out to me. On our last day, during our taco hike around the city we stopped at a park in Condesa to watch a street musician perform. We were some the first to stop and listen right at the beginning of the set, but in a matter of minutes there was a crowd of 60 to 70 people listening along with us. Scanning the crowd of listeners people were dancing and singing along to each of the songs. Couples were dancing together, on-lookers were laughing and smiling, and the weather was perfect. In that moment there was such an atmosphere of happiness I found myself choked up for a second. Across Mexico City I found every corner of the city to have something of interest. Whether walking through a lively market, past street performers, or even by a group of protesters blocking a street the entire city feels utterly authentic and teeming with life.